Should we be arguing about The DaVinci Code?

  • Thread starter Thread starter bhktops
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
B

bhktops

Guest
I went out to dinner Saturday night and my sister mentioned reading and enjoying the best selling book. I started on how the guy who wrote is a liar and sneaky based on the fact page he puts at the beginning stating all historical documents are researced and accurate. He writes that Constantine in the 3rd century picked the gospels, which is totaly incurrate, it happened about 1000 years later at a council. Anyways, she said it is fiction just entertaining but I would not let it go saying the guy is getting rich of incurrate accounts of the Church;s history and noone would get away witch this if it was about the Hollocust or Martine Luther King. Now I feel bad, about how argumentative I was and am thinking of apologising or should I just don’t bring it up anymore?
 
I can relate. There are many things about Catholicism for which I am passionate about. And I often jump at the chance to correct “misguided” thinking when it comes to matters such as these.

But in my own passion, I often forget COMpassion. I have gotten into very similar situations where, though I was correct technically, the delivery left something to be desired.

I also know that if the Holy Spirit is leading you toward apologising (which it sounds like He is) it is generally correct in assuming you should. 🙂

You don’t have to abdicate your opinion, but you can approach your sister in humbleness and let her know you didn’t mean to come off so … (you fill in the blank).

I have a brother that I do this with. I just can’t seem to help myself. So I have learned to ask the Holy Spirit to be with me during our discussions so not to get caught up in my own intelligence ;).

He is very understanding, and willing to forgive. I’m sure your sister will be too. 👍
 
I think if the person just enjoyed the book as fiction, and understands it is 100% fiction, then I wouldn’t debate the book.

But if you encounter some folks who think it has basis in fact, then I would definately set them straight.
 
I haven’t read the Da Vinci Code, but I read Angels and Demons by the same author, and it made me very mad. Partly because it was insulting to both the church and to science, and also because it was poorly-written drek. It’s written at about a 4th-grade reading level and passed off as serious literature for adults. I understand Da Vinci to be similar. This winter I’ve even seen the special hardcover illustrated edition of Da Vinci Code, which is the most laughable thing ever - it’s like having a leather-bound edition of the Cat in the Hat with glossy photo-quality prints.

For some reason these novels that are totally off-the-wall goofball fiction are marketed as having some serious truthful historic content. Maybe because people assume that if the topics are real things, e.g. the church, art, science, whatever, that the author must be describing them accurately. So yes, it’s fine to argue about it for the purpose of reminding people that it’s all fantasy.
 
Whats there to debate about. It is fiction and stated and marketed as that. In fact I was at a Barnes & Nobles once at the help desk. I look over and there was a promo stand with his books. Well right behind it was the big Fantasy/SciFi section sign. I wish I had a camara.

I mean it is a pulseated page turner book, no doupt about that. But I quess some people can confuse fact and fiction.
 
the best way to do away with trash is to throw it out… i would not give it a platform… lots of time… less is indeed more! 👍
 
I’ve read both and in MHO A & D was a very poor book compared to the code. I read them understanding full well they were total fiction, actually parts are so absurd as to be humorous. In A & D (if I recall correctly) the hero falls from a helicopter at 10,000 feet with no parachute, and survives the fall, oh yeah that could happen!!! I was surprised by some Catholics actually questioning the “facts” in the books, as if they were factual. The author does mislead by his statements of his research. If he hadn’t tried to make it seem his plot were possible everyone would have known it was simply fiction. There is about as much fact in these two books as there is in the movie Men in Black, you know with Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith, that movie is based on fact you know? There is actually a city named New York. The difference is the movie does not attempt to lead you into believing any of it is based on fact.
 
40.png
mommy:
I think if the person just enjoyed the book as fiction, and understands it is 100% fiction, then I wouldn’t debate the book.

But if you encounter some folks who think it has basis in fact, then I would definately set them straight.
Click to expand...
I think I agree with you. Why chastise someone for enjoying fiction?
 
space ghost:
the best way to do away with trash is to throw it out… i would not give it a platform… lots of time… less is indeed more! 👍
Click to expand...
Code:
I second your discernement, Space Ghost. Hard to keep with you though. There are some (:rolleyes: ) who think you are Karl Keating (:eek: )

Blessings,
Shoshana
 
This winter I’ve even seen the special hardcover illustrated edition of Da Vinci Code, which is the most laughable thing ever - it’s like having a leather-bound edition of the Cat in the Hat with glossy photo-quality prints.
Click to expand...
No, no! The Cat In The Hat is good! Don’t compare it with The Da Vinci Code.

I have read it, by the way. It was almost physically painful because the writing was so bad.
 
40.png
Jermosh:
I mean it is a pulseated page turner book, no doupt about that. But I quess some people can confuse fact and fiction.
Click to expand...
I think that is where the problem lies. I’ve heard a discussion or two about people who say they start to wonder if Jesus was married, and that the Church actually my think that as well. Those are times when we must step in and say “I don’t think so…”

After all, if someone thought Harry Potter or Luke Skywalker were real people, you’d set them straight on that point. It’s just more serious in this case because the implications are greater if people start believing fiction for fact.
 
space ghost:
the best way to do away with trash is to throw it out… i would not give it a platform… lots of time… less is indeed more! 👍
Click to expand...
40.png
Shoshana:
Code:
I second your discernement, Space Ghost. Hard to keep with you though. There are some (:rolleyes: ) who think you are Karl Keating (:eek: )

Blessings,
Shoshana
Click to expand...
I agree w/ SG too…BTW, I think he’s “W”😉
 
space ghost:
the best way to do away with trash is to throw it out… i would not give it a platform… lots of time… less is indeed more! 👍
Click to expand...
When one considers that a hardcover book, even a less expensive one, runs nearly $25, who in his right mind with full knowledge would buy such trash. Even if its lending library stuff, most of us have only so much time to read, why drink Cool-Aide when you can have pure orangejuice.
I also think that for some people such materials are very important because it supports them in their gnawing of the bone of contention between them and their church, their government, or their families. 👍
 
Sometime after this d"avinci" book was published, I was in a local Catholic bookstore and was talking to the mgr.'s son. He told me about a woman who’d come into the store to buy it. When he told her they were not carrying it, she became very angry and said, “What?!, you don’t want to learn a truth of our faith?” Though, in my experience, some of our local Catholic Churches do not acknowledge either the “left behind” books or the “davinci”, I really wish they would address this stuff. There seem to be too many Catholics who are not even well catechized enough to know these type of books are fictional anti-Catholic trash. 😦
 
Da Vinci Code is fiction, we all know that. bhktops’ sister apparently read it as fiction. My thought on this is the same as Shiann.

But this is what I found to be so sad. Books like the Da Vinci Code are not even good literature. They are simply written with little character or plot development. These are the books that the secular press love and therefore just rave about them. What about books such as Michael O’Brien’s books. I have read Father Elijah, Strangers and Sojourners, and Eclipse of the Sun. (our local library did not have the Plague Journal, so I have bought two copies and plan to donate them to the library)
I just wish the secular press would talk more about books that are better reading material than junk like the Da Vinci code.
 
40.png
bhktops:
I went out to dinner Saturday night and my sister mentioned reading and enjoying the best selling book. I started on how the guy who wrote is a liar and sneaky based on the fact page he puts at the beginning stating all historical documents are researced and accurate.
Click to expand...
Well that could be true. He could have researched stuff and just not used it or only looked for what he wanted and not the truth.
He writes that Constantine in the 3rd century picked the gospels, which is totaly incurrate, it happened about 1000 years later at a council.
Click to expand...
This is totally wrong!!! Constantine did order a book made that we now know as the Bible. He ordered several copies made and sent to various churches in his empire. The exact cannon of his version of the Bible is not known for sure. The cannon of the Bible we use today WAS established in the late 300’s by the Catholic Church. This cannon was used for over 1,000 years untill Luther began to delete 11+ books out of it. Later protestants then in the late 1800’s then began to even delete out the deutero’s!

Please check the Bible history threads for more in depth information.
Anyways, she said it is fiction just entertaining but I would not let it go saying the guy is getting rich of incurrate accounts of the Church;s history and noone would get away witch this if it was about the Hollocust or Martine Luther King. Now I feel bad, about how argumentative I was and am thinking of apologising or should I just don’t bring it up anymore?
Click to expand...
It is finction but not harmless, it was written to be anti-Catholic and turn souls away from his Church.
 
40.png
Faustina:
Da Vinci Code is fiction, we all know that. bhktops’ sister apparently read it as fiction. My thought on this is the same as Shiann.

But this is what I found to be so sad. Books like the Da Vinci Code are not even good literature. They are simply written with little character or plot development. These are the books that the secular press love and therefore just rave about them. What about books such as Michael O’Brien’s books. I have read Father Elijah, Strangers and Sojourners, and Eclipse of the Sun. (our local library did not have the Plague Journal, so I have bought two copies and plan to donate them to the library)
I just wish the secular press would talk more about books that are better reading material than junk like the Da Vinci code.
Click to expand...
Good point. About fifteen years ago my youngest son was complaining to me about the books he was being asked to read in his literature class. He wanted comtemporary stuff that was written in ghetto english and the like. I advised him that at University and beyond he would want to be able to express himself clearly and correctly. By reading good high quality writing he would automatically absorb high quality ways of expressing himself. He said,“Oh, I never thought of it that way. Makes sense.”
Since graduating from Georgetown U. he has worked for two world class accounting firms in their overseas branches and has now moved from Germany to an international company based in England. He speaks excellent English and is very fluent in German. His wife born in England speaks English, German, and French. Why waste time with poorly written" hack" literature. 👍
 
Bobby Jim:
For some reason these novels that are totally off-the-wall goofball fiction are marketed as having some serious truthful historic content. Maybe because people assume that if the topics are real things, e.g. the church, art, science, whatever, that the author must be describing them accurately. /QUOTE]

People don’t know how to think anymore. (I’m generalizing, I know) My almost 19 yr old daughter was complaining the other day about people at work. She’s a hostess at a sports theme restaurant/ bar. The employees do the minimum to get buy and customers complain constantly and to all the wrong people. I told her that I’m from a generation that was not taught to think and was not well catechized and now her generation is paying the price! (by raising more people who don’t know how to think) Thankfully we know MANY families who are catechizing their kids and educating them well, so hopefully the tide is turning. —KCT
Click to expand...
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top